The servants froze.
Lin Meiyun frowned.
"That’s right."
"I haven’t seen her since the fire started."
A nervous silence immediately spread through the courtyard.
Su Yueqing blinked once.
Inside her mind—
[The culprit is probably hiding somewhere.]
[If I remember correctly, she should be waiting until everyone blames me before making a dramatic appearance.]
[Classic heroine move.]
[Very professional.]
The entire Xi family became perfectly still.
Even Xi Wenzhe’s cold expression changed almost imperceptibly.
At that exact moment—
A frightened servant suddenly came running in from the outer courtyard before dropping to her knees.
"D-Duchess!"
"This servant saw Miss Li Mei earlier!"
Everyone immediately turned toward her.
The servant swallowed nervously before continuing.
"Miss Li Mei said she came to inspect the new Young Madam’s courtyard..."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"...she might still be inside."
The servant’s words had barely fallen when Lin Meiyun’s face changed.
"I sent her there."
The Duchess looked toward the burning courtyard, her usually calm expression showing obvious worry.
"Earlier, I asked Li Mei to inspect the new residence and see if everything was properly arranged for Yueqing."
Her fingers tightened around her sleeves.
"If she really went inside..."
She did not finish the sentence.
She did not need to.
Everyone knew what it meant.
The fire had already spread from the kitchen into the nearby rooms.
If Li Mei was truly inside, then she might already be trapped.
Xi Wenzhe’s expression immediately darkened.
"Which direction did she go?"
The servant pointed toward the burning side courtyard with a trembling hand.
"This... this servant saw Miss Li Mei heading that way."
The moment she finished speaking, Xi Wenzhe turned around.
Without another word, he walked straight toward the flames.
"Wenzhe!"
Lin Meiyun called after him.
But he did not stop.
His steps only became faster.
Several guards hurried after him.
"Young Master!"
"We will go with you!"
The fire reflected against his cold face as he disappeared into the smoke.
The entire courtyard became tense again.
Xi Qianqian looked at the burning buildings, then quietly looked at Su Yueqing.
Xi Yunchen rubbed his forehead.
Nobody spoke.
Only the crackling sound of burning wood filled the air.
Lin Meiyun slowly turned toward Su Yueqing.
Her voice was much gentler than before.
"Yueqing..."